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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27613658">Tired.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThoughtLin/pseuds/ThoughtLin'>ThoughtLin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: Legend of Korra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Family Feels</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:48:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,528</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27613658</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThoughtLin/pseuds/ThoughtLin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kya tricks Lin in helping her babysit the airbender children.  It's tedious work and Lin finds herself emotionally and physically drained.  But at the end of the day, it's all worth it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lin Beifong/Kya (Avatar), Lin Beifong/Kya II, lin jinora</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>104</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>KyaLin Week 2020, OTP: Chief Crankypants and the Hippie</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tired.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Kyalin Week day 3: Tired</p>
<p>This one's a bit longer than expected. I wasn't sure what direction it was going in, but I really like how it ended.  Hope you like it! :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I still don't understand why I have to be here." Complained Lin.</p>
<p>"Because I asked nicely." Kya said with an exaggerated smile.</p>
<p>"When you said you were in trouble and you needed help, this is NOT the trouble I had in mind." Lin accused.</p>
<p>"Well... anyway... you're here now" Kya drew out each word as sweetly as possible "and that's all that matters." she finished, covering up a laugh.</p>
<p>Tenzin and Pema were on a day trip and left Kya in charge of the kids.   All 4 of them for the day. The whole day.</p>
<p>"So what do you want me to do?   No diapers!" She announced as she remembered the youngest air bender kid.</p>
<p>"I figure you might have an easy time with Jinora and Ikki." she nods towards the two girls sitting on the couch.</p>
<p>"Fine." Lin walks over and gruffly acknowledges them. "Girls."</p>
<p>"Hi Aunt Lin." Jinora calmly looked up from her book.</p>
<p>"What are we doing today? Can you teach us how to metalbend?  Who's the scariest guy you attested?" Ikki bombarded her with questions, but she smiled at the airbenders interest in her.</p>
<p>Lin didn't see Jinora roll her eyes in annoyance.</p>
<p>As they walked outside, she could see Kya feeding Rohan through the window as Meelo helped her with the bottle. The sun was shining in just the right spot, and everything seemed so calm and perfect. <i>Settling down might not be too bad after all Lin thought. The thought of having her own kids not really an option anymore, but someone around to teach earthbending to, someone to uphold the Beifong legacy, made her slightly regret her previously detached lifestyle.</i>
</p>
<p>Lin was suddenly jolted out of her daydream when Ikki began again. "Aunt Lin, how come we've never met your Dad?  And where's your Mom?  Why don't they visit more often?  And how'd you get your scar?"</p>
<p>
  <i>Never mind.</i>
</p>
<p>"Ikki, you can't ask questions like that." Jinora thankfully answered for Lin.</p>
<p>"Why not? You're not the boss."</p>
<p>"I'm the oldest so yes I am."</p>
<p>"Aunt Lin, tell Jinora she's not the boss."</p>
<p>"I --" Lin started</p>
<p>"She's the oldest so she's the boss too."</p>
<p>"Umm --" Lin started.</p>
<p>"There's only one boss!"</p>
<p>"No there's two bosses and you're not either of them." Jinora scolded.</p>
<p>Ikki looked to Lin and took her stunned silence as confirmation that Jinora was right. She glared at Lin like she had betrayed her, and with tears in her eyes ran off.</p>
<p>"Wait --" <i>what the flameo just happened! </i>  Lin said to herself. Taking a second to catch her bearings, she gathered her thoughts and looked to Jinora.</p>
<p>"I think I'm gonna go look for your sister," Lin told the oldest airbender child. "Maybe you'd like to come help, and possibly apologize?"</p>
<p>"But -- " now Jinora was the one who looked like Lin had just insulted her. "I didn't do anything wrong, and I thought I was sticking up for you." Jinora slammed her book, and airbent into the sky and out of sight.</p>
<p>
  <i>Is this what Mom had to deal with when Su and I were kids?  I'm sure I wasn't that bossy.   And I distinctly remember helping Mom control Su when she was getting out of hand.  Because I was the oldest and I was.... in.... charge. Oh.</i>
</p>
<p>The realization that she might've been a rougher older sister than she thought was giving her a slight headache.</p>
<p><i>I don't need this kind of emotional stress.  Damnit Kya.</i> Lin cursed under her breath.</p>
<p>"Ikki!" Lin called when she finally found the airbender.  She waved, trying to get the girls attention.  Ikki turned and saw Lin, stuck her tongue out at her and airbent herself to the house. "Why.  Just why." Lin held her hands out silently questioning.</p>
<p>Just as she was about to go looking for Jinora, Kya called everyone to lunch.</p>
<p>"What's wrong with those two?" Kya asked Lin when she noticed the girls were dramatically avoiding each other at the table.</p>
<p>"Power struggle." Lin huffed, emotionally drained.</p>
<p>"Ah, I get it." laughed Kya. Lin glared at the waterbender with a very annoyed face. "Don't worry, I'll fix it." Kya said when she caught Lin's glare.</p>
<p>"Mmmhmmm." murmured Lin.</p>
<p>----------------------------------------------</p>
<p>After lunch Kya suggested Lin just watch Meelo and she'd handle the rest of the airbender children.</p>
<p>"Better." Lin sighed.</p>
<p>And before she could second guess herself, Lin felt footsteps flying down the hall. "MY HEEEERRROOOOOOOO!"</p>
<p>Meelo burst into the room and slammed right into Lin's knees. If it wasn't for her police training reflexes she would've fell flat on the ground.</p>
<p>"Reporting for duty Chief sir!   Ready for drills and obstacles!  LETS MOVE!" Meelo screamed not missing a step and ran outside!</p>
<p>Lin looked at Kya questionably and Kya met her gaze with a brisk "okay, have fun!" </p>
<p>When outside, Lin obliged and created a mini obstacle course full of rock slides and hurdles for the rowdy Meelo to airbend over and under. Lin bent pillars for him to swerve through and higher hurdles to fly over and walls to climb up and caves to crawl through and bars to swing across and giant boulders to balance on and little boulders to airbend through towering walls with holes and she flew rocks in the air for him to catch and uprooted boulders to rocket him into the sky and...</p>
<p><i>How long can he keep this up?  How long can I keep this up!</i>  Lin thought, feeling a slight drain in her energy.</p>
<p>After what seemed like forever, Meelo was ready to take a break from what he refereed to as his 'basic training'.  Lin hadn't bent that much earth so fast and so consecutively since her last Triad brawl.  And even then she needed a short healing session with Kya</p>
<p>"How'd I do Chief!" Meelo looked at Lin hopefully</p>
<p>"Not bad for a rookie." Lin played along, a little winded.</p>
<p>"LET'S KEEP GOING?!"</p>
<p>"How about we go see if your Aunt Kya needs help with dinner?"</p>
<p>"Aye aye Captain!".</p>
<p>--------------------------------</p>
<p>"Where do you want us?" Lin invited herself into the kitchen.</p>
<p>Kya turned and saw Lin looking a little less composed than the start of the day.   She walked into the kitchen with Meelo hot on her heels.</p>
<p>"You could cut those veggies and Meelo, when Lin's done put them in this pot okay?" looking to Meelo for an okay.</p>
<p>"You got it Aunt Kya! Let's get to chopping Chief!"</p>
<p>Lin got to work but found herself slowing down trying to avoid Meelo's little fingers that were hazardously close to her knife.</p>
<p>"Why don't you just wait till I'm done kid?" Lin tried redirecting.</p>
<p>"Or..." SWOOOOSH "...I can airbend them into the pot!" Meelo made a gesture that sent the pot and the vegetables flying in the air. Only to land on the floor with a hard crash.</p>
<p>Lin put a palm to her face as Kya cleaned up and motioned Meelo outside with his sisters to set the table.</p>
<p>When everything was finally ready, everyone helped bring the food to the table.  Well into dinner, Lin found herself easing into conversations with all 3 children about whatever it was they wanted to talk about. Thankfully all hard feelings from the girls earlier fight were gone.   She found herself relaxing into Kya's shoulder, and lacing her fingers with the waterbenders.</p>
<p>----------------------------------------------</p>
<p>When Tenzin and Pema came home, Lin looked at them with a new found appreciation? Respect? Disbelief? She put a hand on Tenzin's shoulder and calmly told him, "If you ever need help with the kids again," Tenzin's demeanor changed slightly thinking that his kids broke down the Chiefs walls. "... don't call me."</p>
<p>"Ah, of course.  Well.  In any case, thank you for helping Kya." Tenzin said, a little disappointed.</p>
<p>Just as Kya and Lin were about to leave, the airbender children came rushing up to Lin and gave her a hug. She looked at Kya in slight disbelief.</p>
<p>"What's this for?" Lin hesitated.</p>
<p>"We're glad we got to spend time with you and Aunt Kya today." Ikki said.</p>
<p>"I hope we weren't too much trouble?" Jinora said a little guiltily.</p>
<p>Lin felt her heart soften and smiled at the girls "No you weren't, I had a great time. Thank you for having me."</p>
<p>She bent down for a better angle to grab the three kids in a great big hug.  Kya watching from the side, and smiled at her girlfriend's growing affection for the children.</p>
<p>Lin and Kya made their way slowly back to their apartment.  Lin metal bent the door open and exhaustively flopped on the couch.</p>
<p>"Don't make this a habit." She smiled at Kya "I'm so tired.  Who knew kids were so demanding.  I feel like my arms are going to fall off and I need a stiff drink."</p>
<p>As if reading Lin's mind, Kya appeared with a small glass of gin that the younger woman gratefully downed.  Curling up next to her and putting her legs in Lin's lap, Lin instinctively patted them and looked to Kya.</p>
<p>"You know as tired as I am, it's nice isn't it."</p>
<p>"What is?"</p>
<p>"Being part of a family."</p>
<p>"Yes, yes it is." Kya said, relaxing into Lin's embrace.</p>
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